I Just Had Eggs: Can I have Doxycycline Now?

By - Nuha Adila

In the times of coronavirus, doxycycline has become a very common term that people refer to. If you have had the virus, it is very likely for you to know what it is.

For those who do not know, doxycycline cleans infections in your body. Respiratory infections are broadly cleared out by doxycycline in this pandemic.

Doxycycline is a tricky medicine to deal with. This antibiotic has been reported to cause quite a lot of side effects and food interactions. Doxycycline and eating eggs are one such food interaction that is prescribed to be avoided again and again.

Related: How bad is doxycycline for you?

Invariably, doxycycline has been the drug of choice for advanced bacterial infections. But this particular broad-spectrum antibiotic has to be dealt with with care and caution.

Not only does it have some short-term effects, but the long-term ones are equally harmful. Go on and know everything related to it:

What Is Doxycycline

To enlighten you about the medicine a bit, it is a tetracycline group of medicine. These groups are antibiotics. Meaning, they combat the bacterias of your body. Mostly found in gelatinous capsule format, doxycycline is prescribed for numerous bacterial infections irrespective of age.

Doxycycline inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to ribosomal subunits. It prevents amino acids from being linked together. Without amino acids, bacteria are unable to function. And the whole procedure falters.

Doxycycline is capable of killing a wide range of antibiotics that kills bugs quickly and effectively. The action covers a wide spectrum and the side effects are minimal. Most of which are related to the gastrointestinal system.

Doxycycline is bacteriostatic. It helps to prevent the spreading and further growth of the bacteria of the particular area. It is currently trending to be the antibiotic of choice and has become a more popular option for clinicians than tetracyclines. It has proven itself to be a safer and highly efficient drug of choice.

Right after administration, doxycycline can take up to 12 weeks to show its results. But it should be continued as you may develop a certain level of resistance. Any sort of antibiotic resistance prevents the body from fighting off diseases and thus lowers the immune system. It tends to deteriorate any existing infection.

Hence, it is important to ensure food interactions or any external activity that will reduce the capability of doxycycline to work, is avoided.

What Is Doxycycline Used For

Over the years doxycycline has been a reliable antibiotic. Successfully it has cured several infections of people. Mostly, these are parasitic or opportunistic infections developing from severe underlying conditions.

A full course medication of doxycycline has benefited people in many ways, irrespective of their diseases.

The dosage varies from disease to disease and its severity. Besides, the person’s age, body structure, and previous medical history also play an important role.

Doxycycline is the answer to any sort of bacterial or parasitic infection. It is invariably used to treat-

Who Can Have Doxycycline

Any adult patient can have doxycycline after a bacterial infection.

Rarely it has shown any side effects in people. But to be on the safe side, please mention your doctor if you have any of the following prediagnosed conditions:

People with this previous medical history show less productive results. Rather some, elicit hypersensitive reactions as a result of any food intake like doxycycline and eating eggs, milk, antacids, etc.

Side Effects of Doxycycline

Like every other antibiotic, doxycycline also has side effects. Often cases of its food interactions are noted. As a result of which, side effects following are:

Doxycycline is not a safe choice of drug for children, pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers. In pregnant mothers, doxycycline is not given because the tetracycline group of medicine interferes with the growth of the bones. It suppresses bone growth. Even if you are having doxycycline and eating eggs, it might not work for you.

For lactating mothers, as a side effect doxycycline produces less amount of milk in the body. For this, it is only prescribed to short-term lactating mothers.

Children of growing age show side effects like faulty teeth and bone growth for doxycycline intake. They are remarkably contraindicated to have doxycycline.

Food Interaction

Several medicines show contradictory reactions to ingested foods. For example, you can not have warfarin with vitamin K, insulin, or oral diabetic drugs with alcohol, digoxin, and high fibers, calcium channel blockers and grapefruit, etc.

Doxycycline and eating eggs are one such of a kind. Any means of food interaction, either makes the medicine less efficient or at worse, ineffective at all. As such, the medicines are suggested to be taken before or after a meal, quite a while.

What Foods Should Be Avoided

Antibiotics have a criterion of interacting with foods. Several antibiotics are therefore suggested according to ingestion of a meal. Commonly, doxycycline is prescribed on an empty stomach or before a meal.

Doxycycline and eggs, milk, yogurt, cream, cheese, or any other dairy-rich products seem to interact. It reduces the effectiveness of the medicine by lowering the body’s ability to absorb doxycycline.

Dairy products or eggs are rich in calcium. The numerous components of doxycycline have the potential to create a chelating agent with the calcium from these food substances. Doxycycline forms chelate with calcium and it results in delayed absorption of the medicine.

As your body absorbs less amount of doxycycline, your chances of recovering from the infection slow down. A continuous dietary supply may also hamper the whole medication.

Besides food, the following medicines may also interact with doxycycline and reduce its potential effects:

The same kind of effect is also found here. Most of the medicines mentioned above are rich in metallic compounds that can act as a chelate.

What Happens if You Do Not Avoid

Food interactions can be frequently troublesome as we discuss doxycycline. The medicine is quite a character of its constituents as it provides essential and effective results.

Most of the interactions are simple and non-problematic. But what happens if you do not identify the red flag and work accordingly?

Every time with a doxycycline package, there comes a cautionary packet of warnings. Pretty sure you do not go through it, but you must know it addresses issues like food interactions, skin allergies, and gastrointestinal problems.

Permanent tooth discoloration, enamel hypoplasia, and clostridium difficile associated diarrhea can occur from food interactions of doxycycline and eating eggs.

The patient may be brought in with hypersensitivity reactions and severe vomiting. Untreated food poisoning from any medicine reaction can lead a patient to anaphylactic shock. This is crucial morbidity for any patient.

Even with the minor side effects mentioned below, try to get yourself checked even for once.

Endnote

Now in the time of pandemic mentioned, the use of doxycycline is common and frequent. As a patient, you might want to avoid an additional stomach upset with this. Your body is already tired of the disease and it just wants to heal at this point.

For such, try to keep away from doxycycline and eating eggs, milk, and yogurt at the same time. It is better to avoid these kinds of risky food interactions as it might just lead to unwanted and unexpected situations.

In case you are facing a similar situation while taking doxycycline, try to figure out a dairy and iron-free diet. The foods can be rich in other food components.

FAQs

What foods should I avoid while taking doxycycline?

Avoid any kinds of calcium and iron-rich foods. As previously mentioned, these foods can form a chelate. This may disrupt the absorption or slow down the mechanism of action of doxycycline.

Foods like eggs, bananas, milk, yogurt should be taken at in minimum as you take doxycycline.

Does anything interfere with doxycycline?

Supplements like antacids, others which are high on aluminum, magnesium, and iron. Besides, laxatives also interfere with doxycycline.

Phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, bismuth, subsalicylate, and other anticonvulsant-type medicines interfere with doxycycline.

How long should I wait to eat after taking doxycycline?

Wait at least two to three hours till you have your doxycycline. Let the doxycycline sink it and develop activities in the body.

It is usually preferred before a meal. At this time, It is a risk-free and safe time zone for having the medicine.

Is it better to take doxycycline in the morning or at night?

It is always recommended to have doxycycline in the morning after your breakfast. On an empty stomach, doxycycline causes acidity or even stomach upset. Try to avoid it at night.

Why do I get nauseous after taking doxycycline?

Doxycycline is quite a harsh and strong drug for the stomach. It is often causative of gastrointestinal abnormalities. As such, nauseousness and vomiting are quite common complaints.